Car accidents are a leading cause of death. Automated car accident detection can save lives by decreasing the time required for information to reach emergency responders. It has been shown that most fatalities of car accidents could have been prevented by a faster access to help.
Conventional in-vehicle accident detection systems rely on vehicle on board sensors through direct interaction with the vehicle's electronic control units (ECUs). These sensors detect acceleration/deceleration, airbag deployment, and vehicular rollover. However, this information is not sufficient to accurately detect an accident.